Heart of Stone
by Alexjhag
Summary: The night of the Royal Cotillion, Mal's heart is shattered. By showing up with Uma, Ben throws her love for him in her face and ruins her. She only has one option: a spell to be known as the Stone Heart Spell. When the spell works better than expected, it's up to Ben, Evie, Carlos, and Jay to save not only Mal, but all of Auradon.
1. All Magic Comes with a Price

**So I'm finally getting around to getting this multi-chapter story up! It's still a work in progress, but I'll try to keep myself accountable to getting new chapters up for it as often as I can, no less frequently than once a week! I have a few chapters just about ready, but want to 1) make sure that they're all cleaned up to my standard and 2) if this is a story worth following through on! If you like it, let me know! If you don't, also let me know (constructively, or at least as gently as possible). And with that out of the way, I now take you to the Royal Cotillion...sort of.**

* * *

Run. Don't stop running. Those were the rules of the Isle of the Lost. Whatever problems you had, you had to keep running. Run fast enough and you could outrun every problem. And so that was what Mal was doing. She ran. She didn't care what the people of Auradon thought of her anymore, because she had already lost the one Auradonian she cared about. She had lost Ben. After everything he had said, after every promise he had made her, she lost him. To Uma. Uma had finally won.

It was the night of the royal Cotillion, when Ben would have been announcing Mal as his Lady of the Court and give her a more official position in the government of Auradon than simply "the king's girlfriend." She would have become Lady Mal. She could have sat in on the conversations and helped to improve the lives of everyone, including those still on the Isle of the Lost. More importantly, the people of Auradon would have seen that what her and Ben had was real. Now everyone, including Mal, knew that she was nothing more than a charity case. He had felt sorry for her, so he dated her. And now there was someone who needed his charity more than her, so she got to be his Lady while Mal was left in the dirt.

She didn't know where to run, but she was still running. She had ripped the bottom of her dress off at some point so she could run more easily. It was easier to not think about where she was going. If she knew, others could predict her moves. She didn't want to be found. Not until she had time to think.

_"Mal, I wish I had time to explain."_

_"I'm sorry. It all happened so fast. Something happened to me when I was on the Isle with Uma - a connection."_

_"Don't you see, Mal, you were right! You knew we weren't meant to be together; that's why you never told me that you love me."_

_Why you never told me that you love me._

_Never told me that you love me._

She was an idiot. She wanted to blame Ben, and she did, but she also blamed herself. She had been so unsure of her feelings, still so uncertain about what love felt like, that she never told Ben the three words that could have changed everything. And now he was gone. He had moved on and found someone who could probably love him better than she could.

She finally stopped and wondered where she had taken herself. Surprisingly, she found herself at the Enchanted Lake. She had no idea how she had run this far - she accredited it to the adrenaline that she could already feel ebbing away. She had gone to the one place she always felt safe. This was the place where she could pretend her and Ben were still together.

"A million thoughts in my head. Should I let my heart keep listening?" Mal said, remembering the words she said during her first trip to this very spot, where she and Ben had shared their first date. Even then, she knew she had felt something for him, but she couldn't put words to it. She knew he had made her question what she believed to be wrong and right; he made her want to be a better person; he made her question whether her mother's goal was really her goal.

"Oh Ben." Mal said as she leaned against one of the columns, sliding down until she was sitting, arms wrapped around her legs and her head resting on her knees. Once she had settled, she let the tears flow. She knew she was safe for a while. Everyone would be on the yacht, in the middle of one of the oceans, for the rest of the night celebrating Cotillion. The only reason she had been able to escape was because of a simple teleportation spell.

While she let her emotions out, she took stock. On the Isle, you knew your emotions and you controlled them. Any emotion could and would be used against you. And right now all she felt was pain. Pain and an emptiness where her heart should have been. A gaping whole that Ben had left. She couldn't live with the pain.

But what if she didn't have to? She thought about that for a second, and realized that it was entirely possible. She had made several of her own spells before, she could easily do it again. It would require a little research, but it was still early enough that she could use the Auradon Prep library - it wouldn't be closed yet. She cast another teleportation spell and arrived inside of the library, causing the librarian to jump.

"Oh, Miss, you startled me." The librarian said, before realizing who it was. He got up and curtsied. "My apologies, I didn't realize it was you, Lady Mal." Another piece of her heart broke.

"No, don't. No need for the formalities. I'm not…" She tried to explain, but couldn't bring herself to say it. Saying it to another human would make it too real. The librarian seemed to understand, though.

"My apologies. I had no idea." Mal mumbled her thanks. "How may I help you this evening?"

"I need to do some research on spellcrafting. It'd be a fairly difficult spell and I don't want to make any mistakes." She explained. The librarian's face paled.

"Usually such research requires special permission from the headmistress herself, and is supervised by one of the several good fairies. I'm afraid I have to contact the Fairy Godmother." He started moving towards the desk. Mal knew she only had moments before she wouldn't be able to finish her mission here. Fairy Godmother would never approve of her creating this spell.

_**Take back this moment that has passed  
****Reverse it five minutes into the past.**_

She hoped she got the incantation right as she swiped her finger around. Luckily, she could feel the effects of the spell starting and watched as, slowly, everything around her started backing up. The spell had actually worked!

"Oh, Miss, you startled me." The librarian said, before realizing who it was. He got up and curtsied. "My apologies, I didn't realize it was you, Lady Mal." Another piece of her heart broke.

"No, don't. No need for the formalities. I'm not…" She tried to explain again, but she still couldn't bring herself to say it. The pain was still too real.

"My apologies. I had no idea." Mal mumbled her thanks. "How may I help you this evening?"

"Actually, if it's alright, I'd like some time to just read." Mal said, which wasn't completely a lie. She did want time to read, she just didn't tell him what she would be reading.

"Of course, take all of the time you need, dear. Just remember that we close at eleven."

"Don't worry, I'll hopefully be gone by then." She said and the librarian nodded, returning to his post at the main desk. Mal went off into the stacks, looking for any books that looked like they might help her with spell creation. Once she had a stack of six or so books, she found a table far away from anyone who might be there and opened the first book.

_**Read it fast at lightning speed  
****Remember everything that I need.**_

She quickly flipped through the pages of the first book, gathering all of the details that she needed from it. She felt a little guilty using this much magic, considering her use of magic was what got her in this mess in the first place, but she couldn't make herself care. She needed this spell. Within half an hour or so, she had gone through each of the books she had brought to her table and knew what she needed to do. It was actually really easy; it would just require her full concentration since the spell had never been cast before. Once she cast the spell - focusing entirely on what she wanted it to do and making a quick two line rhyme to make her desires a reality - it would appear in a registry of all spells created. She didn't like that part, but it seemed to be unavoidable.

With another quick spell, she was back in her dorm room. Evie would still be at Cotillion, so nobody would be coming back anytime soon. First she changed out of her dress and into a pair of purple sweatpants and the hoodie that she regularly slept in, Ben's hoodie (it smelled like Ben, and she wanted this one last reminder). She then sat on her bed, legs crossed, and focused on creating a rhyme. This would normally be a job for Ben, he was so much better with words than she was, but this had to come from her. Besides, she couldn't wait for Ben. She wanted this spell active before she had to face him again. And so she wrote. She went through several scraps of paper, trying to find the exact wording that she wanted. Each one didn't quite seem right, so it got tossed in the garbage can. By the time she found the right words, her garbage can was full of little papers.

Now came the hard part, casting the spell. She channeled all of her focus into it, making sure that she gave it enough magical energy to work without completely depleting her. She didn't want the spell to take away all of her emotions, just her ability to love.

_**Broken, hurt, and left alone  
****Turn my heart to a heart of stone!**_

The change in her chest was immediate. She no longer felt the pain that came associated with the heartbreak. In fact, she felt completely free from the damage that Ben had caused. She didn't love Ben - mentally, she knew what she had felt for him before she cast the spell, but now she didn't feel any of that. She felt nothing.

Knowing that the spell had worked, she crawled into bed, curling under the covers as she drifted off into the safety of sleep.

* * *

The next morning, Mal was woken up by the sun coming in through the disgustingly pink curtains. She and Evie had sworn that they would change them when they first moved in, but Mal didn't have the heart to after realizing how much Evie really liked them.

"Morning, Mal." Her blue haired roommate said from her vanity. It was clear that Evie was already halfway through her morning make-up routine. "I...how are you?" She asked Mal, nervous about how her friend genuinely was. She knew that Mal put on a tough girl act, but underneath was extremely vulnerable. And Ben had broken her in the worst way.

"I'm fine, E. Yeah, last night sucked, but I guess it could have been worse." At this, Evie looked at Mal as if she had turned into a dragon.

"Umm...Mal, I don't know how to tell you this, but...it was real. Like...it all actually happened. Honestly, I don't know that it could have been worse." She had decided to go with the blunt approach.

"I know, and it sucks. But better that Ben made it clear now that he doesn't want to be with me than in a few years when I would potentially be expecting a proposal. Honestly, this worked out for the best."

Evie didn't know what to say. Yesterday, her sister had been head over heels in love with Ben. She had been willing to change her entire way of living, accept her position as Lady of the Court, and become someone she had never been all because of how much she loved Ben. Today, she was acting so indifferent. It was...weird.

"I'm gonna head down to the cafeteria to get some breakfast. You coming?" Mal asked Evie. Evie shook her head. She still needed to finish her make-up.

"I'll be down in a bit. Go on ahead, M." Mal nodded and left the room, still wearing the clothes she had slept in. This made Evie raise her eyebrow again. It was one thing for Mal to not care how she looked, but she always made herself at least somewhat presentable when she left the room. Something was definitely wrong. That was when she noticed a piece of paper lying on the floor next to Mal's bed.

She got up from the vanity and picked up the piece of paper. She hated to invade Mal's privacy, but she was hoping for some kind of clue.

"Oh no. No no no no no no no no." Evie said as she read the words on the paper. She recognized a spell when she saw one. Forgoing the rest of her morning preparation, she headed immediately to Fairy Godmother's office.


	2. I've Put a Spell on You

"On her way to Fairy Godmother's office, Evie bumped into the one person she had hoped to avoid.

"Evie, have you seen Mal?"

"I have, not that I'll tell you where she is." Evie said with a huff. Seriously, did he expect her to help him find her sister after what he did last night? She kept walking, hoping Ben got the hint. He didn't.

"Evie, please. Something feels wrong." This made her stop.

"Something feels wrong? Something feels WRONG!?" She had started off trying to contain her anger, but failed. She had hoped to keep her voice calm, but ended up shouting at him the whole time. "What's wrong is you taking advantage of Mal's heart! What's wrong is you KNOWING how tough it was for her to show any kind of love and throwing that in her face! What's wrong is you showing up with UMA on your arm after convincing Mal to come back, FOR YOU I might add!" As Evie kept listing off a rant of reasons Ben had hurt Mal, Ben stood silently. He knew he deserved this.

"And that doesn't even begin to scrape the tip of the iceberg, Benjamin!" Evie had to stop to breathe here, which Ben took as his opportunity to step in.

"You're right." He said simply. Evie looked ready to keep going, but was thrown off by his comment.

"I am? I mean, of course I am."

"Mal didn't deserve what happened last night. And some part of me feels like last night shouldn't have happened. After Lumiere unveiled that stained glass window - one that I remember having made, but don't understand why - something shifted in me. I love Uma, but...something about Mal in that portrait felt right to me. Ever since I looked at it, I can't get Mal out of my head."

Evie didn't know what to say. Something was certainly wrong here. Ben was accepting responsibility, which wasn't the odd part. The odd part was that it seemed like he was confused about how he felt. Last night he had been so confident. Evie began to wonder.

"I don't trust you, Benjamin," Evie said, not letting up but willing to give him a chance, "but if there is something wrong, I'm going to see the one person who might be able to help. If you've ever cared about Mal, you should come with me."

Ben didn't say a word, but followed Evie as she continued on her trek. A few minutes later found them standing outside of Fairy Godmother's office. Evie knocked on the door and they both waited a minute until the door opened.

"Evie, how pleasant to see you!" The headmistress said, giving Evie a big hug. After they exchanged greetings, she noticed Ben. "Your Majesty." She said shortly, giving a curtsy. This caught Ben off guard. Fairy Godmother had never used his title. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Could we come inside, please?" Evie asked, looking around. "It's a little bit sensitive, and I think it'd be better if we could have a private conversation." Evie explained. Fairy Godmother nodded and held the door open, ushering both of her students in. She closed the door behind them, making sure that nobody would be bothering them.

Once inside, Fairy Godmother sat down behind her desk while Ben and Evie took the two chairs in front of the desk.

"So, what can I do for you, Evie?" She said, looking at the blue haired student and intentionally ignoring Ben. Ben wanted to feel hurt, but he knew that she was being fair after the way he had spoken to her last night.

"It's about Mal. I think we might have a problem." Evie said as she passed the piece of paper she had found over to the headmistress. This had even caught Ben's attention.

"What's wrong with Mal?"

"Let the people who actually care about her figure it out while you handle...whatever it is you have going on." Evie said shortly, waiting for Fairy Godmother to finish looking it over.

"Evie…" Ben said, trying to reason with her. "I know you won't believe me, I barely believe myself as weird as that sounds, but I do care about Mal." Before Evie could respond, Fairy Godmother spoke up.

"Evie, you did the right thing bringing this to me. You don't think Mal has already cast this, do you?"

Evie nodded. "She was different this morning. I mean, I know some people go really numb when they get their heart broken, but she acted like she didn't care. She was...almost indifferent to how Ben treated her."

"Then we have to assume she cast this spell. Which means we have to start preparing." The headmistress got up and started skimming the titles of books on her shelves.

"What's wrong with Mal!?" Ben shouted, a slight growl entering his voice. He came right back out of it, and apologized to the two women in the office with him. Evie got a confused look on her face, while Fairy Godmother became contemplative.

"Ben, may I have your permission to check something? I think we might get some more answers about how we got here if I did." Fairy Godmother said. Ben just nodded. She grabbed her wand.

"Bibbitty Bobbitty Boo!" She said, waving her wand over Ben. He became surrounded in a sea green aura. The headmistress gasped and Evie became even more confused.

"Fairy Godmother, what is that?" Evie asked.

"That, Evie, is a magical trace. Ben has been spelled. By my estimate, based on the strength of the trace, it would have been about 12-14 hours ago. Soon enough that the trace is still there, but it's growing fainter." Evie quickly did the math.

"But that would mean that Ben was spelled right before he appeared at Cotillion. Can you tell what kind of spell it is?"

The headmistress nodded. "It's a love spell."

Ben's head spun at the realization he had been put under yet another love spell. He heard Evie mutter "Uma." and in his mind pieces started falling together.

"So...I don't love Uma?" He asked. He knew the answer, somewhere in him, but he needed people who weren't spelled to confirm it.

"No Ben, you don't." Evie said, holding back tears and looking extremely guilty. She knew she had been borderline cruel to Ben, and for no reason since he wasn't in control of his actions. "Uma used you to try and get what she wanted."

Neither of them had noticed Fairy Godmother walk away until she came back and handed Ben a crystal phial.

"Drink this, Ben. It'll reverse the effects of any spells on you." Without hesitation, Ben drank the concoction. Almost immediately, he felt a cold sensation wash over him. He no longer felt anything for Uma, other than disdain and contempt. But he didn't let that thought last more than a minute, because he more importantly thought of the girl he loved.

"Mal...how could I have done this to you?" He asked himself, putting his head in his hands. Evie placed a reassuring hand on his back.

"Ben, it wasn't you. It was Uma using you; she knows the best ways to get to Mal and after everything that happened these past few days, she knew that you were the key to destroying Mal."

"And now because of me, even if it was Uma's fault, because of me Mal's done...what has Mal even done? You still haven't told me." He looked between Evie and Fairy Godmother. It was clear neither of them wanted to be the one to break the news to him. In the end, Fairy Godmother simply handed Ben the paper Mal had written on. He read the incantation and his heart sank.

"A heart of stone. Does that mean…?"

"Yes, Ben. It means that we have to assume that Mal can't feel love anymore. It's much worse than that, though. This is clearly a spell that she created, which means that there are a lot of risks involved. Even for the best of magic users, creating spells that tamper with emotions is difficult; for someone who has had no formal training, getting it to do solely what she wants would be impossible."

Ben wanted to say more, but Evie interrupted him. "What do you mean?" Ben simply nodded.

"Well, emotions are difficult, because the relationship between the heart and the mind is complicated. To isolate a single emotion is difficult in the best of circumstances. With Mal in the emotional state she was in last night, it'd be impossible. Her intent for the spell may have been to turn her ability to love to stone, but I fear she may have gotten the rest of her emotions, too."

"So...Mal can't feel any emotions anymore?" Ben asked. Fairy Godmother nodded.

"It will be slow to start. Right now she probably does still other emotions, but as the spell progresses, she'll feel less and less until she doesn't feel anything. And I can't help but be afraid of what she'll become if it reaches that point."

Evie got nervous. "So what can we do?"

"For now, just keep an eye on her. Ben, now that you're no longer under the influence of Uma's spell, maybe try talking to Mal. She probably won't want to talk to you, but you have to try. You might be the only one who's able to save her at this point."

The answer wasn't spoken, but everyone in the room knew what was being implied: True Love's Kiss. Ben got nervous; he and Mal had never kissed before. Sure, there had been cheek and forehead kisses, but he knew enough about True Love's Kiss to know that it had to be a kiss on the lips - a true kiss between two people who the universe had declared to be "true loves," which was the strongest and most unbreakable type of love.

"I'll do what I can, Fairy Godmother. I owe Mal that much after how I treated her." Fairy Godmother didn't respond, but nodded. Both Evie and Ben took their leave, and went to the cafeteria where Evie assumed Mal would still be.

Fairy Godmother sat back down at her desk, looking at a book she had pulled off her shelf. She had some reading to do. The book was titled _The Rise of Evil, Vol. 1_ and the encyclopedic set chronicled the origin stories of every villain that any hero had ever faced. There were several volumes and she hoped that she could find some evidence that those who strayed from the path of goodness hadn't done something similar to what Mal did; she already thought of a few who might fit.

"Good luck, Ben and Evie. The future of Auradon may rest on your shoulders."

* * *

**Sorry to already have a bit of a filler chapter, but I needed space to get Ben unspelled, to give the actual scope of the Stone Heart Spell, and to show the potential for how bad things could get. Needless to say, things are looking good for Mal. Next chapter we get to see Ben and Evie interact with the new Mal. Will an unspelled Ben be able to convince her, or will Mal be too far gone to listen?**


	3. For There was No Love in Her Heart

As expected, Ben and Evie found Mal sitting in the cafeteria; she had a short stack of pancakes and a bowl of strawberries in front of her. Ben was glad to see that, whatever else was happening, Mal still loved her strawberries. He and Evie sat down with her, Ben sitting next to her while Evie sat across from her.

"What do you want, Benjamin Florian?" Mal asked bitterly.

"I wanted to talk, Mal. I owe you…"

"You don't owe me anything. If anything, I owe you for doing me a favor. You ended things quickly and let me go before I became too attached. So thank you, Ben, for doing what I didn't have the strength to do." Ben didn't know how to react to that. He was surprised, to say the least, but also hurt that she didn't seem to feel anything about them.

"Mal, I was spelled. I didn't mean any of what I said last night. I know why you've never said you love me. And I still love you. I've loved you since I first saw you, Mal. I fell even more in love when you treated me like a person, not a prince or king. Mal, please don't give up on us. Please. Undo your spell." Mal tensed up immediately.

"What spell are you talking about, Ben?" He knew she was trying to lie. Luckily, Evie stepped in.

"I found it lying on the floor by your bed, M. We know about the spell to remove love from your heart. And Fairy Godmother is worried…"

"So you went behind my back and got Fairy Godmother involved!? Am I not capable of making my own decisions? Do I have to have an adult hold my hand at all times?" Mal snapped at her best friend.

"That's not what we're saying at all. We just know how strongly you felt last night." Ben said, which turned Mal's fury towards him. He even saw a momentary flash of green in her eyes, which was never a good sign.

"You have NO idea how I felt last night, Ben. Nor do you have any idea how strongly I felt before I cast that spell, which was the best choice I ever made. Before that spell, I was weak and vulnerable. I remember that it felt amazing to love, but I also remember how much pain I felt when I had that love thrown back in my face. I don't want to experience that kind of pain ever again! That's why I made the spell, and I'm not undoing it. I can't go through that again! I won't!" Ben and Evie looked at each other, knowing that they only had a small amount of time left to convince Mal before she'd leave. Ben took the shot.

"You're right, Mal. I don't know what you went through. I'll never understand how much I hurt you, but I can promise you I'll never forgive myself for it. I know you don't want to believe me, but I love you, Mal. I love you so much and knowing that I was the one who caused you to go this far...it's killing me. I should have known, should have fought harder against the love spell. And that's on me. But Mal, taking away your feelings isn't the answer here. Do you really want to go the rest of your life unable to love? Even if you spend the rest of your life hating me, do you really want to sacrifice the closeness you have with Carlos, Jay, and Evie? They're your family, Mal, and they love you."

Ben could see, for a moment, Mal's eyes flicker with something. It was like, for that moment, he had gotten through and the real Mal, the Mal who loved so fiercely, had broken through. But then the spark vanished and the loveless Mal came back.

"I'm sorry, Ben, Evie, but I can't take that chance. My heart isn't strong enough to endure that kind of pain again. I thought it would be...I convinced myself that it was worth it to care...but I was wrong. I feel bad, I really do. But I can't be the person you want me to be. I never could be."

With that, Mal got up and left the table. Evie and Ben stared at each other, unsure of what to do next. They ended up meeting in Jay and Carlos' dorm room and an informal plan was made. It was agreed that they would keep an eye on Mal and make sure to monitor her deterioration. After Ben left their room, he stopped by Fairy Godmother's office to give her the update. She said she would keep trying to find a way to break the spell on Mal, and reminded Ben to keep an eye on her. Ben was about to leave when she stopped him.

"Ben...don't judge Mal based on how she acts in the coming weeks or even days. What she does and says won't be her. You know who Mal is, so don't let this change your opinion of her."

"I won't, I promise." He said as he closed the door. Fairy Godmother hoped he kept his word.

* * *

The first sign that Mal's ability to feel was deteriorating was the graffiti that reappeared on her locker about a week after she cast the spell that was being called the Stone Heart Spell. She had given up the practice because she knew that it wasn't something done in Auradon, and she felt bad that someone had to clean up the mess that she made. When Jay asked her about it, she would say she was just being herself, which everyone seemed to want.

The next sign was when she tripped Audrey in the hallway a few days later. Earlier in the day, Audrey had made a snide comment about how Mal was finally coming to her senses and not continuing her pointless pursuit of Ben. Even though Mal didn't love Ben, she refused to let Audrey get away with being a rude priss. So during a time when the hallways were packed, and when Audrey had a lot of books in her hands, Mal cast a quick spell, her eyes glowing green.

**_Thinking she's the queen of the town_**  
**_Send Miss Audrey toppling down_**

It was a relatively simple spell, but effective. Audrey tripped over air, which sent her books flying as she fell to the ground. Her papers went everywhere and more than a few of the other students started laughing. Audrey huffed loudly.

"You'll pay for that, you witch!" Audrey screamed at Mal. Mal put on her innocent face.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Audrey. Looked to me like you just need to be less clumsy."

Mal walked away while Audrey sputtered. As she walked, she felt someone start walking next to her.

"You know you aren't supposed to be using magic, Mal." Carlos said, trying to keep the conversation light but effective.

"I know, but I don't particularly care. It's a stupid rule."

"Mal, you could seriously get in a lot of trouble." Carlos tried to reason. Mal turned and looked him in the eye, her eyes glowing bright green and her face showing more malice than he had ever seen from her.

"Let them try." She said and she walked off, leaving Carlos standing alone in the hallway.

The third incident, two weeks after she tripped Audrey, wasn't something that most people would have paid attention to...unless they were Evie.

"Mal! What are you wearing!?" The bluenette screamed as she saw the outfit Mal was sporting. It was black t-shirt with black jeans, and a black cloak that had streaks of purple randomly spread across it.

"You like it? I thought it was a much better fit for me, now." Mal said as she showed off the outfit she had designed.

"But...what about all of the outfits I designed you? I thought you liked wearing mostly purple?"

"And they were nice outfits, don't get me wrong, Evie. But that's not who I am anymore. This is me - the real me."

Evie shook her head. "No, this isn't the real you, Mal. This is the furthest thing ever from the real you. The real you would be sporting purple and leather. The real you would be eating strawberries while laughing at something Ben said. The real you would care about your friends and family!"

"How many times do we have to have this conversation, Evie?"

"As many times as it takes, M. I'm not giving up on you! You may think that this is a better you, but I know you better than that. Somewhere in you, you hate this." Mal paused, and Evie thought she had managed to get through.

"You bore me." Mal said, and with a flick of her wrist, Mal teleported Evie into the hallway. Evie tried to re-enter the room, but found the door locked. She pounded on the door, screaming at Mal through the locked door, but to no avail. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she stormed to the boys' room.

"That selfish, heartless, evil, b…."

"Evie!" Carlos shouted before she could finish the statement. "What happened?"

"She's gone. Mal is gone. I tried to talk to her about her new outfit and who the real her is. Her response? 'You bore me.' and sent me out of the room. With her magic. No matter how mad at each other we've gotten, she's never used her magic against me."

They all remained silent. They knew that Mal was under the spell and therefore acting differently than she normally would have, but this approached the line for all of them. If Mal was using her magic against Evie, now, it couldn't be much longer. Ben sat and realized that he would soon need to act in the interests of the nation, not just himself and his friends.

* * *

After Mal banished Evie from the room, she decided to work on her next great act: revenge. She knew, though, that her magic wasn't strong enough on its own. It would take years of training that her mother had never been able to give her - and Fairy Godmother was too afraid to give her - to enact the spell she wanted to cast. She would need a power boost. And she knew exactly where to get it from. With a twirl of her cape, she disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke.

When her body reformed, she was standing in the Hall of Villains in the Museum of Cultural History - the place where all magic artefacts were kept, to prevent the masses from being tempted to use their magic. As if magic was something that should be feared. _Seriously,_ Mal thought, _Fairy Godmother acts like magic was only used by villains. Wasn't she the one who used it to Bibbity Bop Cinderella into a better life? I guess when magic is used by heroes for heroes, it's fine, but villains can only ever use magic for evil. Well let's show them what evil really means._

She walked over to the wax figure of her mother. Even though the real Maleficent was in a fish tank in her room, the wax figure was just as intimidating. However, what she came for was the staff that was in the wax figure's hand. After the events of Ben's coronation, Fairy Godmother had replaced the wax Dragon's Eye with the real one, telling nobody about what she had done. Except Mal knew. She could hear the staff calling to her, offering its magic to her. She just needed to get to it.

**_Using magic for more than a laugh_**  
**_Now set free my mother's staff!_**

Mal said the incantation and immediately the case around her mother's wax figure fell. Alarms started to blare throughout the museum. Mal grabbed her mother's staff and disappeared from the scene. She knew that all of Auradon would be on high alert, now. The most dangerous magical artefact in the museum had been stolen.

She felt its power coursing through her. She had never felt this strong - never felt this alive. This was what it meant to be powerful. This was her true strength. Not love. Love was weakness; love was pathetic. Who needed love and friendship and all of that other vomit inducing nonsense that the Auradonians always talked about when she had the most powerful magic in the realm? She laughed an evil laugh that was all her own. She didn't try to replicate her mother, nor anyone else, because finally she was her own evil power.

She looked around and realized that she was standing on a cliffside overlooking Castle Beast, the sun setting behind the castle. Not too far to the left, but a ways further away, she could see the lights coming from Auradon Prep. If she were able to appreciate it, she might have thought it was a beautiful scene. But she couldn't, because her heart was emotionless. Her mouth curved into a sneer as she thought about the panic that the "good" people of Auradon would be in within minutes. The thought of their panic caused her to laugh. Lifting the Dragon's Eye towards the sky, she began to think about what spell to cast first.

"Let's give Auradon a taste of evil." She said, preparing her first spell as the most powerful magic user in the realm.


	4. I Will Go the Distance

"We don't know that it was Mal, guys!" Carlos shouted. Ben, Evie, and Jay looked at each other skeptically. They had convened to discuss the news that was right now sweeping across Auradon: Maleficent's scepter had been stolen. Everyone had their own speculations, but most of the four in the room were certain.

"Who else could it have been?" Evie asked, the sadness evident in her voice. "Only Maleficent or someone related to her can wield the Dragon's Eye, remember? It's how she almost cursed me to an eternal sleep."

That doesn't make her automatically guilty, though." Carlos tried to reason; none of the rest were buying it. Their discussion was halted by a knock at the door. Ben opened it and was surprised.

"Fairy Godmother? Please, come in." He opened the door wider and the headmistress walked in.

"Thank you, Ben. I'm sure by now you've all heard the news, but…"

"Mal didn't do it!" Carlos interrupted the headmistress, surprising even himself. He had never spoken back to a teacher before, at least not since coming to Auradon.

"Carlos, I hate to say this, but she did. We have evidence of her appearing in the Museum of Cultural History. She took her mother's scepter and then vanished as the alarm went off. I think we have to start considering the possibility that Mal has, for the moment, become evil."

She had said the one word they all had actively avoided, and it hung in the room like an unwanted odor. Ben clenched his fists; Evie let out an audible gasp; Jay punched the wall; Carlos let out an uncharacteristic growl. Fairy Godmother knew she had upset the teens.

"I'm sorry to have to say it so bluntly, but it's now a real possibility."

"Let's not jump to any drastic conclusions, here. She's still Mal. Her emotions may be gone, but she's still herself deep down." Ben said, hoping beyond hope that he was right.

_**A forest of thorns shall be their tomb  
Borne through the skies on a fog of doom!  
Now go with a curse and serve me well!  
**_'_**Round Auradon, cast my spell!**_

All of the teens ran to the window as they heard the familiar voice echo throughout the land. From a cliff not too far away, they saw a dark fog start spreading out. Wherever the fog touched, large, thorny vines grew. It became a labyrinth that nobody would be able to navigate. Ben hoped that nobody was caught in the thorns.

"Ooookay, so maybe Mal is evil." Carlos said, slumping on his purple-haired friend's bed in defeat. Ben shook his head.

"No, I refuse to believe that. She still has to be Mal."

"Ben…" Evie said, the hurt evident in her voice. "I want to believe in her as much as you do. We all do. But this isn't Mal." As she said that, thorns started creeping over the windows of the dorm building. Everyone looked over the grounds of Auradon Prep and saw them being invaded by the thorns. They grew at random intervals and made no distinguishable path. The view lasted only a moment before the window was completely covered.

"I have to find her. I have to try one more time." Ben grabbed his jacket and put it on. He knew that he only had one chance.

"We're coming with you." Jay said, standing up. Ben placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I appreciate that, but I need you guys here. The students are going to be scared - worse, they'll have recognized Mal's voice. I need you three here to keep the students calm while I try to talk to Mal. I'll be back as soon as I can." The three VKs nodded. Evie wrapped her arms around Ben.

"Bring our girl home, Ben."

"I will, Evie, I promise." She let go of him and he shook Carlos' and Jay's hands, then turned to Fairy Godmother.

"Be careful, Ben. The forest of thorns isn't for the faint of heart. You must be focused on a singular goal, with pure intent to overcome the darkness within the forest. And you will have to go on foot, for no horse can navigate through the forest. It's simply too dense, and they won't have the same purpose you do."

"I know it's a long shot, but I'll never forgive myself if I don't try. And I think you're wrong about the horse. There's one horse in all of Auradon who can handle anything." Jay, Carlos, and Evie looked confused, but Fairy Godmother looked at Ben with shock.

"Ben, you can't mean...I thought he died years ago."

"Most people do, but he's still kicking. And yes he's old, but I think he's got one more good run in him."

"Then may goodness go with you." Fairy Godmother said, placing a comforting hand on Ben's shoulder. Ben thanked her and headed out after getting and giving hugs to his three friends one more time.

As the door closed behind him, Ben knew he had to make a plan. The first step was to get home, to the castle. Step two was get to the stables and get his mother's trusted horse. Step three, find Mal.

The trip to Castle Beast, which normally would have taken no more than ten minutes, took Ben the better part of a few hours. Between traveling on foot and having to fight the ever changing landscape that was the forest of thorns, he was awed that he made it home at all. Before he could make it to the stable, he heard two familiar voices calling to him from the doorway. He made his way to the front door to find his parents waiting.

"Ben, what's going on? We heard Mal, but...that couldn't be her, right?" Belle asked. Before Ben could answer, his father stepped up.

"Son, the council has called a meeting. They fear this new threat to Auradon and are ready to act on it. They have requested your presence at this meeting." Ben's jaw hit the floor.

"Dad, you can't be serious."

"Ben, look around us. The forest of thorns is no laughing matter. Phillip is ready to charge in sword blazing to get Mal's head! Your presence at this meeting may be the only way to keep peace, should there be a peaceful solution to this." Adam had been working on his temper and not jumping to conclusions, which Ben was grateful for right now.

"And if I attend the meeting, we may lose our last chance of saving Mal before she's gone forever. Keep them comfortable, keep them distracted, but give me time. I have to do this, for all of Auradon."

"Ben…" Belle started, but Ben interrupted her.

"Mom, dad, you've raised me since I was a kid to follow my heart. You taught me to believe in myself, even when things get hard. I know this seems like an impossible situation, but Mal is worth fighting for." His parents nodded.

"Where was this Ben last night?" Adam asked, proud of his son.

"Under a spell. But I'm free now, and need to borrow Philippe. He might be the best chance I have of getting to Mal through this." He didn't wait for his parents to respond. He made his way to the stable and found Philippe in his stall. He reached out and rubbed the old horse's mane, letting the horse rub his face against Ben's.

"How are you doing, Philippe? Been getting enough hay and rest?" The old horse whinnied, which Ben took as an affirmative. "I hate to ask this of you, buddy, but there's a forest of thorns out there and I need a trusty steed to navigate it. You took my mom to her true love. Think you can get me to mine?"

Philippe's eyes went wide and reared up on his hind legs, letting out a neigh of terror. Ben tried to calm him, knowing how the horse hated danger, but nothing would console the horse. He kept staring behind Ben until the young king turned around and found himself face to face with an unexpected shadowy figure.

"_Stay away, Ben. I'm too powerful. The me you loved is too far buried and you'll only be hurt. Please. Don't come after me. Just send the guards and end me."_

He reached a hand out, trying to touch Mal's face for even a moment. But she wasn't there. It was some sort of illusion.

"_I don't have long, Ben. I love you, so please don't try to be the hero."_

"Mal, you know I can't do that. I will find you, and I will save you." The shadowy Mal smiled. She opened her mouth to speak, but then her face twisted; it was clear she was in unimaginable pain.

"Mal! What's wrong?" Ben asked, worried. Before he could make sense of what was happening to her, and before she could respond, she vanished. Part of him wondered if it was some kind of trick, but it felt like his Mal. No, his heart knew that whatever that illusion had been, it had been her.

Philippe calmed down after the specter vanished and Ben was able to saddle him without complaint. Once the saddle was on, Ben hopped on.

"Take me to Mal, Philippe. Find us a path through the forest of thorns." Belle had always told Ben that Philippe had an amazing sense of direction. If Belle hadn't grown up in a small, ordinary, provincial town, Ben might have believed that the horse had magic in him. He always seemed to know exactly where to go, even when his rider didn't know where they needed to be. Ben was trusting Philippe to find Mal.

Ben and Philippe made slow progress through the labyrinth that was the forest of thorns. Ben held the reins, but made no effort to lead; the horse simply seemed to know where he was going. Ben quickly lost his bearing and was unsure which way Auradon Prep was, as well as his own home. He was too caught up in the fear that the forest permeated. It was impossible to not cower in fear while the thorns grew bigger along the path he was following.

Finally, as the sun was setting, they arrived outside of a structure that Ben knew had not been here previously. He knew all of the castles in Auradon, and this was not one that he had ever remembered learning about. It was dark, gloomy, and foreboding. He dismounted, giving Philippe a few pats and words of thanks, before approaching the large doors to the fortress. As he approached, Ben remembered a lesson from early in his days at Auradon Prep. The class was called "History of Evil" and was meant to give the young heroes an overview of all the villains and the evil deeds they had done. The class had spent an entire three days on Maleficent - more time than any other villain had gotten. The reason Ben was thinking about those lessons was because he remembered how the teacher had described in detail what Maleficent's evil fortress looked like. And here it was in front of him. Ben was looking at a recreated Forbidden Fortress, somehow constructed in Auradon.

He pushed the door open and found the inside to be gloomier than the outside. As soon as he stepped inside, a few torches in the entrance hall burst alive with flames. Someone clearly knew he was here. He continued through the castle, following the trail of lighting torches. Part of him knew this was probably a bad idea, but he held hope that Mal - his Mal, the one who had appeared as a shadowy form in the stable - was guiding him. Finally, after many twists, turns, and staircases, he came to a room he recognized all too well: Maleficent's throne room.

* * *

Jay was pacing. He hated that he couldn't do anything to help his friends. Mal was lost to a spell and Ben was out there risking his life to save Mal. All Jay could do was assure students that Mal was still the Mal they had come to know. All he could do was keep perpetuating a lie. Well, maybe not a lie, but not a complete truth, either.

He, Evie, and Carlos had just gotten back to his and Carlos' room, where they had all decided to stay the night. None of them wanted to be alone, and they all felt better having each other near while Mal was in danger. They didn't realize it, but they had started to slide back into their old mentalities from the Isle: Protect your gang at all costs.

They had all settled down and were about to call it a night when a flash of green light in the middle of the room nearly blinded them all. When the light died down, they saw Ben standing in the middle of the room, a look of confusion on his face.

"Ben!" Evie shouted, jumping up and giving the king a hug. He returned the hug. "Where's Mal? Is everything okay?"

He shook his head. "Not yet, Evie, but it will be. I need to get to the council chamber, now!"


	5. I'm Working on My Roar

Former King Adam had never had a headache as bad as this one. He spent the better part of twenty years sitting on the throne of Auradon, and not once had he ever gotten a headache like this one. All of the ruling class of the various states were in the council chamber and all of them had opinions about how to handle Mal. Adam looked around the room, taking in his fellow dignitaries. Directly to his right was his wife, Belle, who helped run all of Auradon. To his left was King Philip with his wife, Aurora, next to him. He looked further along that table and met eyes with the Sultan and Sultana of Agrabah, Aladdin and Jasmine, who both looked at him sympathetically.

Next to Jasmine was Snow White, who was both a journalist and royalty. She had yet to offer an opinion, but he could tell that she was leaning towards agreeing with Philip. Then there Rapunzel, who had just barely been reunited with her family before being put on her throne before the United States of Auradon had been formed. On the other side of the table, past Belle, was Cinderella and King Charming. They were followed by Eric and Ariel, then Mulan and Shang, and then Tiana (who only came because this was a large scale threat. For the most part, she always sent in her formal declination of attendance because she "couldn't care less about all of your boring stuff"). The table continued, but these were the most active participants.

After Ben had left on his self-righteous mission to try and save Mal, Adam had been shouldered with the responsibility of managing these furious royals. And after he left this meeting, he would need some ibuprofen. Or maybe just a really stiff drink or three.

"Does no one else remember the last time we faced a forest of thorns!?" Philip yelled as he slammed his hands down on the table and rose to his feet. There were a few mutterings around the table. "Because I certainly do! It was when Maleficent, that witch's mother, cast it to keep my sweet Aurora locked in a castle in an eternal slumber! How long must we wait? Until someone else is plunged into a potentially eternal sleep? I say we kill her now before she can kill any of us!"

Aladdin spoke up. "Now Philip, I don't think anyone here is questioning how dangerous Maleficent was, nor that Mal is now acting similarly to her mother, but I think we have to consider the implications if we decide to kill a child. She's still underage and what kind of heroes are we if we go around killing children?" Philip was furious.

"The kind of heroes who protect our citizens from villains! You still think that Mal isn't a villain!?" He looked around the table and held each individual's gaze. Some held it, while others ended up turning away.

"Philip, please. I understand that this brings up bad memories for you, but there's more on the line here than just the kingdom. My son's heart is involved, too." Belle said calmly, never raising her voice but making it clear that she wouldn't hear Philip's blind hatred.

Adam pinched the bridge of his nose. They had gone over this a dozen times already, and it was still going nowhere. Whenever Ben got back, Adam was going to make him pay for dumping this meeting on his shoulders.

"Look!" Adam roared, his beastly side coming out a little and grabbing the attention of the entire council, most of whom flinched. "We can keep going in circles, or we can wait for the king to arrive. He seems to believe that Mal can be redeemed, so let us, please, wait for his arrival."

Everyone remained silent; it was Snow White who broke the silence. "And what do we do if he doesn't arrive? What if Mal…" she couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence, but they all knew what was meant.

"No need to worry about that, Queen Snow. I'm here now." Ben said as he pushed the door open. He strolled into the council chamber with a confidence that he had rarely shown. Behind him walked Evie, Carlos, and Jay.

"What is the meaning of this?" Aurora asked, seeing the three VKs behind Ben. "They are not part of the council and are therefore not welcome in the council chamber."

"Under normal circumstances, you would be right, Queen Aurora. However, these are not normal circumstances. I have just returned from a recreation of the Forbidden Fortress." Everyone in the council chamber let out an audible gasp. They all knew the castle Ben spoke of all too well. "And I have spoken with Mal."

"What did she say? Does she have any demands?" Mulan asked, putting her hand on Shang's to stop him from speaking for her. She needed to remind him that she was the hero of her own story.

"Her only demand is the destruction of all Auradon. She will take nothing less." Ben told the assembled royals. Even his own parents became concerned.

"And why are you so calm about this, Your Majesty." Adam said through gritted teeth. Ben head snapped to look at his dad. Adam never called Ben 'Your Majesty.' It was clear that Adam was not pleased about how Ben was handling the situation.

"Because, despite her demands and her evil appearance, I know that the Mal we've all come to know and love is still in there. She has been reaching out to me. I can feel her." Nobody knew how to react to that. Even the VKs who stood with Ben were caught off guard.

"What do you mean, Ben? How can you...feel someone?" Carlos asked. It was an idea he couldn't wrap his technological, scientific mind around.

"I can't really explain it. It started with seeing her, as if she were projecting herself to me. Then, when I faced Mal, I could feel a warmth in my heart, as if she was still trying to reach me. She wants me to know she's still in there. She isn't completely lost."

"Preposterous!" Philip said, refusing to believe Ben's sentiments. "You are letting love blind you, Your Majesty! Mal is evil; she is a villain and we all know what we must do with villains!"

Ben growled, feeling his own beastly side creeping up on him. Evie placed her hand on his shoulder, comforting him and trying to calm him down. It worked well enough. He knew that it would be an uphill battle, but he had hoped to get some support.

"It's not quite that preposterous, Philip." Rapunzel said. "When Eugene was dying, I could feel how he felt about me. There was a momentary connection and it gave me the last bit of power I needed to heal him." Everyone in the room grew quiet. Nobody knew the full story about how Rapunzel had managed to save Eugene after he cut her hair off.

"Be that as it may, we still have a villain on our hands." Tiana said. "I'm all about second chances, but this is taking it one too far for me." Ben could feel an argument about to break out, and based on his dad's face, Ben could tell that it wasn't the first one.

"I have to agree. The Mal that currently stands in the new Forbidden Fortress is a villain. But that's not her. Fairy Godmother told me to trust Mal, and I almost forgot that. That isn't Mal, and I may have a plan to set her free. All I ask from the council is time. I need a chance to set her free. Will you give me this time?"

Most of the council just shook their heads. Cinderella stood.

"Your Majesty, while we respect that you love Mal - a matter that has been put in question after the events of Cotillion - we cannot allow her to have time to enact evil on a grander scale. So far she is simply spreading fear. How long until she kills? No, I agree with King Philip. We must act now, before more innocent people are harmed."

Adam took the chance to step in. "Let us put it to the council's vote. All in favor of acting against Mal." Most of the council raised their hands. Only Aladdin, Jasmine, Rapunzel, Ben, and Belle didn't raise their hands.

"All opposed?" The remaining five council members raised their hands.

Adam nodded. "Those in favor have it. We will begin planning to move against Mal immediately. This movement will be led by King Philip, who has experience doing battle against Maleficent. Philip, you may organize as you see fit." Ben wanted to protest, but he knew it was pointless. The council had decided, and he had lost.

The council left the chamber and those who had supported Ben offered him words of sympathy. None of them wanted to see Mal harmed. Ben and the three VKs made their way to the library. All of them were frustrated and disappointed.

* * *

Sometime later, as the four teenagers attempted to determine a plan of action, Belle entered the library with Fairy Godmother in tow.

"Well, this has to be the most glum meeting I've ever been to." Belle said, trying to lighten the mood. It didn't work.

"Mom, they're going to kill Mal and she's not herself." Ben said, his heart breaking as he had to admit the horrible truth.

"They will, if you let them. Just because they've approved moving against Mal doesn't mean they have vetoed you taking action. They simply vetoed you having time where they weren't actively moving against her." Ben's eyes lit up as his mother explained the loophole.

"What can we do? What options do we have?" Jay and Evie asked at the same time.

"Well…" Fairy Godmother started, drawing the attention of all four teens. "There is an old ritual, one that I had long forgotten because it is so rarely used. But when Belle here explained what you said in the meeting, it reminded me of the ritual. It's called the Dive to the Heart." The words sunk in. Carlos was the first to recover.

"And what does the Dive to the Heart do, ma'am?" Fairy Godmother smiled at her student. He had certainly learned his manners in Remedial Goodness 101.

"To put it in basic terms, it lets one person or multiple people enter someone else's heart if there is evidence of corruption. You enter the heart and try to repair it from within. In a stone heart, filled with darkness the way Mal's currently is, the journey will be dangerous." All of the kids looked at each other. They reached a silent agreement.

"How do we get in there? How do we save Mal?" Ben asked. Fairy Godmother smiled.

"I'll have to get in touch with some of the other fairies, and we will need a little time to prepare. Philip won't be able to move until tomorrow at the earliest, and he and his troops will have to navigate the forest of thorns. He won't be moving fast, and once the fairies have permission to use magic, they can be here quickly." Fairy Godmother explained.

"What happens then?" Evie asked.

"Then we do the ritual and you enter Mal's heart. You will probably have to battle the evil in her heart to find the goodness that Ben still feels in her, and then find a way to set it free. Then the real fight begins."

"And...what happens if we fail?" Jay asked, being the only one brave enough to ask the blunt question. Evie and Calros glared at him, but Ben understood. He looked to Fairy Godmother, whose face had dropped.

"Then Mal will be lost forever and evil will fully take over her heart. There will be no helping her anymore."


	6. Once Upon a Dream

**I know some people have asked about what happened in the Forbidden Fortress between Mal and Ben. You get a short hints of it in this chapter, and I actually have the scene rewritten (though it needs heavily revised) for a little later on! Rest assured, you get to see how truly evil Mal has become. But for now, we have this chapter and then next chapter is the actual dive. Still ironing out all of the details, but I have the general outline of what everyone goes through and how we get to the final fight. Hope y'all are ready!**

* * *

_"Ben, let them kill me. Please."_

Ben was sitting in the stacks of the Castle Beast library, where he and his friends had spent the past few hours researching everything they could learn about the Dive to the Heart ritual. His mother had forced him to rest, which was how he found himself sleeping in an alcove; he didn't want to be far if there was a major breakthrough. When he opened his eyes again, he was still in the library, but everything was completely out of focus. The shelves had a slight haze around the edge and he couldn't read any of the book titles. They were all just squiggles.

That was when he heard her voice. More real than he had heard since she had changed. She was here. The real Mal was here in the library with them! He bolted through the stacks, heading towards Mal's favorite chair; if she would be anywhere, that's where she would head. He didn't question any of the oddities he had noticed. All that mattered was Mal.

He turned the corner and found her favorite reading nook with a red velvet chair that had a short back and thick arms nestled in it. Hanging over the chair was a tall floor lamp that could bend to suit the lighting needs of the reader in the chair. Sitting in the chair was Mal. She wore her usual outfit: her purple leather jacket, torn up jeans with splatters of spray paint all over them, and a t-shirt. She was beautiful.

"Ben, I don't have long. I was able to create this dream space, but it won't be long until I notice and come after us."

Ben's head spun and it took him a minute to parse out that Mal was talking about her - the Mal sitting in front of him - and the evil Mal who was currently in control.

"I'm coming for you, Mal. The fairies are performing a ritual and…" Ben started, but Mal shook her head.

"I heard everything, and it's too dangerous. You have no idea what you'll find in there, and I can't let you put yourself in danger because of me. It's because of me that all of Auradon is in danger. Ben, you have to let the council get to me. If I conserve my energy after we leave this dream, I can use it to overpower my evil self. It wouldn't be for long, but long enough for them to do what has to be done."

Ben refused to believe that this was the only way. This couldn't be Mal's ending. She was a hero now, and heroes always got happy endings. As if she could read his thoughts, she chuckled.

"I'm no hero, Ben. I know you see me that way, and I know Evie, Carlos, and Jay see me that way, too. But I'm not. A hero wouldn't have given into their evil side."

"That isn't true. A lot of heroes struggle with their inner evil. Nobody's purely one or the other." Ben said, trying to convince Mal to hang on.

"That may be true, but I wasn't born into the life of a hero. From the moment I was born, all I knew was evil. It's only been in these past six months that I've learned what it means to be good. And you gave me that chance, Ben, and I'll be grateful for that forever. So let me be good and make this sacrifice for the lives of everyone in Auradon."

"I'm sorry, Mal, but I can't do that. You deserve a happily ever after and I intend to let you get it. I plan on being part of it. I love you." Ben said, and he meant it with all of his heart. He wanted to be part of Mal's happily ever after; it may not be the happy ending she imagined growing up, but he was certain she would make an amazing queen of Auradon. A sad smile crossed Mal's face.

"I knew you were going to say that. You've always been too noble for your own good. I guess that's why I fell in love with you." Ben smiled at her words. It wasn't the three words he had hoped to hear, but it was close enough to count. Mal loved him!

Suddenly, the room quaked. Books fell off of the shelves and some came dangerously close to hitting Ben. He knew he was in a dream, but much of it felt far more real than the average dream should have.

"Oh no, she's found us. Ben, I have to get you out of here, now!" She got up out of the chair and took both of his hands in hers. "The next time we see each other, assuming you find me, I'll have to fight my evil side. And you can't interfere, then."

Ben wanted to protest, but he was silenced by Mal pressing her lips to his.

"Well, isn't this a romantic moment." A familiar, yet more sinister voice said from behind Ben. He turned and placed himself in front of Mal. He knew she would hate him feeling the need to protect her, but she had already been through so much in her life, he refused to allow her to suffer any more when he could prevent it. When he turned, he found himself face to face with Mal - the Mal he had faced in the Forbidden Fortress.

"I wondered where my obnoxiously good side had roamed off to, and here I find her in the dreams of our greatest weakness. I should have known."

"Love isn't weak!" The Mal behind him screamed at her evil side. The evil Mal just smirked.

"It's such a shame you won't help me. We could accomplish so much if you didn't insist on resisting me. We'd be ruling Auradon right now if you just let me do what needs to be done."

"No, I won't!" Mal tried to lunge at her evil side, but Ben held her back.

"What do you want?" He asked the side of Mal he hated.

"Why, Benny-Boo, I thought that was obvious. I want the complete destruction of all Auradon. I thought I made that perfectly clear. Or maybe you need another demonstration." She lit her hand on fire and Ben shivered. She hadn't touched him, this time, but he could still feel the flames on his skin; he could still hear Mal's evil laugh as he screamed in pain; he could still hear Mal promise that this was only the beginning of the pain he would endure.

And then his Mal wrapped her arms around him. He knew she would always be by his side, and would always help protect him just like he would always protect her. Whatever trials they would face, both in the upcoming ritual and in their future - a future he knew they both would have - they would face it all together.

"You don't scare us, Mal. Whatever you have planned, we'll stop you." Ben said with more confidence than he really felt. The evil Mal glared at him.

"Oh I certainly hope you try. You know nothing about what you're going to attempt, but I really do hope you try and come after me. It'll make my victory all the sweeter when I take down Auradon right from the top."

Ben felt the Mal behind him shift and she whispered in his ear.

"Ben, I have to wake you up, now. She's gaining too much control. Are you ready?" She asked, looking him in the eyes. They held the gaze only for a moment - they didn't trust the evil Mal as far as they could throw her - but it said a million words and more. It spoke of love, it spoke of hope, but most importantly, it spoke of trust. They trusted each other and knew they could count on each other to pull through. Ben wanted to say no, that he wasn't ready. He wanted more time with Mal, but he knew that his Mal needed to use her energy to stall the evil Mal. For her to do that, he needed to wake up, so he nodded.

"Promise me you'll stay safe." He told her, causing her to giggle.

"I can't promise that, but I promise to hang on until you find me." She kissed him. The world tilted under him, causing him to lose his balance. The floor disappeared beneath his feet and he instinctively reached out for Mal. However, she wasn't there. Not only had the she and the floor disappeared, the entire library had disappeared. He was falling into a black nothingness. He hoped that he was waking from the dream, but he couldn't be certain that the evil Mal wasn't dragging him into a nothingness he would never be able to wake from.

Fortunately, that wasn't the case and Ben woke up in Mal's red velvet chair. He knew he hadn't been sitting here when he had fallen asleep, so someone must have moved him. It was nice to wake up in a spot that Mal considered so much her own; it made him feel closer to her and kept him focused on why he was doing everything he was: he had to save Mal.

He sat up a little straighter as her heard the tapping of someone walking through the library towards him. The unseen figure turned the corner and he was pleasantly surprised to see Mrs. Potts wheeling a tea cart.

"Good morning, dearie. Thought you might like a spot of tea and some breakfast. You and your friends have been working yourselves too hard and it's only been a night." She chattered as she poured the tea, not waiting for Ben to confirm whether he wanted any or not. He smiled at the kindly elder woman. She had been working for his family far longer than anyone had thought possible. He and his mom had both asked several times if she would consider retiring - they would make sure she was well taken care of.

_"Psh, and who'd be around to take care of you lot, I wonder? Lord knows that this place would fall apart without me behind the wheel."_ She would always reply. They never said it out loud, but she was right. She always knew exactly what everyone in the castle needed and when they needed it. Nothing was ever out of place for long, and if you had a bad day, you were always welcome in Mrs. Potts' kitchen for a quick dessert, a cup of tea, and a calming talk. Ben had spent more than a few evenings down in the kitchens since becoming king.

"I know we have, Mrs. Potts, but this is important work. Mal needs us." Ben tried to explain, earning a disapproving glance from her.

"And where's Mal going to be if you lot have run yourselves to the ground? You need your strength if you're going to win this fight. It'll be a full stomach that wins it, mark my words." She said as she pushed a plate towards Ben while putting sugar in his tea for him. She knew exactly how many lumps everyone wanted by heart and never mixed anyone's order up. When the tea was ready, he also pushed the tea saucer towards him.

"Thank you. You didn't have to do all of this." Ben said between bites of his breakfast.

"Didn't have to do this!? What nonsense are you going to say next? The sun doesn't have to rise in the east? You're a sweet boy, Ben, but this is my job and I'm gonna do it as well as I can until the day I can't anymore and not a moment before that. If you'll excuse me, I have to go find those friends of yours. Not Evie, of course. We all know where she is at this time of the morning, but the rest of you lot…"

She continued to grumble about the gang not making her job easier as she walked away, but Ben knew there was no real anger in her about it. She was scared, because one of her own was in danger and she couldn't do anything to help. All of the staff had taken an immediate liking to Mal, and they were all heartbroken when she had fallen to evil. None of them said it, but the looks they gave him said it all: they blamed Ben. It was only Mrs. Potts who still treated him the same, but he could tell that he had fallen in her eyes. And that hurt almost as much as watching Mal fall and rejecting him. He had to make this right, and he would, even if it killed him.


	7. Be Prepared

_**Running a little late this week, but life has been a little crazy for me! I've done my best to keep this chapter up to my usual standard, but some stuff may have slipped through the cracks. If you find something, please feel free to PM me and let me know! Also, I have two new story ideas in the works. One is my NaNoWriMo fanfiction novel tentatively titled **_**A Land Without Magic****_, which borrows a lot from Once Upon a Time, but I plan to put my own spins on it as much as I can! I also have one that is still very much in development and I'm working on its path, but the current plan is that Ben and Mal have a fight and Ben realizes he may be a decent king, but he has a lot to learn about being a good person. _****A Land Without Magic****_ will most likely be posted on my AO3 account, just because I have some images that are necessary for the story that I can't really post here. As soon as I figure that all out, I'll let you all know. But enough of the update, on with the story!_**

* * *

The sun rose over the horizon, bringing light across the thorn-covered land of Auradon. Since the forest of thorns had taken over, the land had been eerily silent. A normal morning would have seen couples walking across the lawn of Auradon Prep, servants bustling both to and from the various castles, and a multitude of animals speaking their own languages and living their lives. This morning heard none of that; Auradon was as silent as a tomb. Nobody was walking outside, no conversations were being had on the lawns, and most animals were hiding in their homes. At the center of all the silence was the Forbidden Fortress. At the top of the highest tower stood Mal, glaring at seemingly nothing.

"You think this changes anything, you little witch? You've won nothing! I will destroy them and then I will finally destroy you once and for all!" She shouted at the air. There was no audible response. The air simply moved, yet Mal's scowl grew more intense, but there was a hint of a laugh in her throat.

"You understand nothing. Even if I lose, I win. Do you think he...no, do you think any of them will look at you the same way after they see the evil in your heart? Do you think any of them will forgive you once they see how truly evil you are?"Another pause, and Mal laughed a true laugh. "Oh don't delude yourself. You may have chosen good, but you're evil. Your spell didn't make you evil, it only brought out the evil already inside of you."

A longer pause. Mal seemed to be listening to something. Something, or someone, seemed to be on a roll. "Fine, then have it your way. Let's see if they have what it takes to set you free. If they succeed, I'll squash you. If they fail, you'll be squashed anyway. Either way, I win."

* * *

Ben, Carlos, Evie, and Jay met in the library with Belle, the Fairy Godmother, and several of the other fairies who had spread across Auradon. Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather were talking to each other in quiet whispers, but the overall mood of the room was somber. Each individual was considering the task before them and all that was at stake. Ben was spinning his signet ring around his finger. He had found it on the floor in front of his dorm room. At some point, Uma must have returned it after she realized that the spell was broken. He should have been more concerned about the security of Auradon Prep, but at the time he was more concerned about Mal. He had to get her back.

Carlos walked over to Ben, sensing his anxiety. "Hey, don't worry about it. We've got this in the bag." The white haired boy told Ben.

"I wish I had your confidence, but I've seen what Mal's like. I know the evil that's taken her. This isn't going to be easy." Ben let out a long sigh, hating that he had to admit he was struggling.

"No, it won't. But was it easy bringing us over here in the first place?" Carlos asked and Ben shook his head. They all knew it hadn't been easy for him, just like he knew it hadn't been easy for them. "Was it easy watching me sprint away from a dog?" Ben laughed at the memory when he first introduced Carlos to Dude.

"No, none of this has been easy. For any of you: you, Jay, Evie, and especially Mal."

Carlos smiled a sad smile. He heard Ben give them all the credit and realized that Ben didn't give himself any credit. It had been his idea to give the VKs a chance to rehabilitate and live in Auradon. It had been Ben who defended them when few others wanted to give them a chance. It was Ben who had forgiven them for coming with a plot to destroy the entire country. And it had been Ben who gave them all a chance to live their own lives and choose good.

"You don't give yourself enough credit, Ben. You've been crucial to everything we've done. And something tells me you're going to be the crucial part of bringing Mal back from this evil."

Ben didn't know what to say. He didn't feel like he had done much, yet here was Carlos telling him that he had been the center of everything. If Ben was honest, he didn't like that thought. Even though he was the king, he hated being at the center. He much preferred things being in a circle where he was just one part of the solution. He didn't like thinking that he had to be the center of the solution to save Mal, but something told him that Carlos was right. He was going to say more to Carlos but was interrupted by Fairy Godmother coming over.

"Ben, Carlos, we're ready." She told them as she ushered them over to the spot where she had already collected Jay and Evie. The four kids were enclosed in a circle of magical people: Fairy Godmother, Flora, Fauna, Merryweather, Tinkerbell, the Blue Fairy, and - to everyone else's surprise - the Enchantress. Nobody questioned her presence, though, which led the VKs and Ben to believe that Fairy Godmother had somehow reached out to her. Ben became a little uncomfortable - he had never come face to face with the woman who had made his father into the Beast.

"Are you all aware of what you must do?" the Blue Fairy asked. They all nodded.

"We're going into Mal's heart and freeing the good side of her." Evie said. The Enchantress nodded.

"That is the biggest part of it, yes, but it goes deeper than that. You must prove to Mal that you are worth allowing in. She will have set up defenses to ensure only those with true hearts can reach her."

The group looked at each other. They knew they had their hearts in the right places, but could they all say that their hearts were true?

"Don't worry, Mal will test each of you. You will encounter various moments of her evil and it will be up to you how you react. Your reactions will tell Mal what she needs to know." Flora explained. Again, they all just nodded.

"Are you all ready to take the dive? Once you go in, you will not be able to leave until you either rescue Mal or fail your test."

"I think I can speak for all of us when I say we're ready." Jay said, looking at Fairy Godmother. "We're all ready to do whatever it takes to save Mal." The magical beings didn't say anything, but all linked hands, closed their eyes, and began to chant.

_**Ancient powers proud and fair**_  
_**Sense the evil still out there.**_  
_**Take this group, don't let them part**_  
_**Let them dive into Mal's heart.**_  
_**Face the evils of her past,**_  
_**So that her evil cannot last**_  
_**Hear us now, and make it true**_  
_**Let them do what they must do!**_

At first, nothing seemed to change. The teens became concerned that the ritual hadn't worked, but then their eyes became very heavy. They all fought to keep their eyes open and to stay awake, but the harder they fought, the stronger their drowsiness became. Soon, all of them collapsed, asleep on the floor.

* * *

Ben was the first person to wake up. He looked around and realized he didn't know where he was. He found that Evie, Jay, and Carlos were all laying near him, and he began to take in his surroundings. He was lying on a stone floor, encased by walls of stone. Across the room from him was a sturdy wooden door with a steel ring as its handle. It was clear to him that they were in some kind of dungeon.

The others woke up not too long after him. They took in their surroundings, the same way that Ben did. It was Evie who spoke up first.

"Guys, I know where we are. We're in the Bargain Castle." Jay's eyes went wide.

"Why would we be there? We're supposed to be inside Mal's heart, aren't we?" Jay asked. Ben placed a hand on the wall.

"I think we are, Jay. I think that, whatever has happened to Mal's heart, has made it into...whatever image we're seeing here." The VKs' hearts sank. Ben, the most innocent of the group, had no idea where they were.

"Ben, this is bad. This isn't just some castle. This is the castle Mal grew up in." Carlos explained. Ben's jaw dropped.

"But...that would mean...we're…"

"Yes, Ben, we're on the Isle of the Lost. Or, Mal's heart has taken on the image of the Isle of the Lost." Evie said, confirming Ben's fear.

"Well, at least we know where to find Mal, if we're on the Isle." Jay said, finally feeling confident. Evie and Carlos clearly understood what he meant, but Ben was confused.

"What do you mean? Where is she if she isn't here?"

"She'll be in the hideout. That's where she always went when she needed to get away; it would make sense that that's where she would lock the last remaining goodness in her away."

Ben's head spun. He was way in over his head. He had experienced the Isle of the Lost once in his life - right before Cotillion when he had tried to convince Mal to come back to Auradon. But he didn't know if he could survive another journey across the Isle. He had barely barely survived his first trip. If it hadn't been for Mal, he would have died at the hands of the pirates.

"Don't worry, Ben, I don't think anything like that is going to happen again." Evie told him as she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. She knew Ben almost as well as Mal did, and she knew what he would be thinking about.

"Uh, guys, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but we aren't doing anything if we don't get out of this cell, first." Carlos said, looking at the door. He walked over and tried the door, but it was locked as they had all expected. Jay attempted to kick the door down, but to no avail. None of them bothered shouting, because they knew nobody would be there to hear and, if they were, it wasn't someone whose attention they wanted to draw. Unease settled on all of them. Had their journey failed before it had even really begun?


	8. Trip a Little Light Fantastic

**This story is slowly catching up to me. NaNoWriMo is sucking up my time as I dive into the other story and try to flesh it out. It's become a much bigger project than I ever expected. I'm hoping to get back into a groove with this story soon! For now, here's the next chapter and the first test.**

* * *

Ben kicked a wall, frustrated. Here they were, finally having their opportunity to save Mal, and they couldn't even escape the first room. This wasn't even part of the test, but they were already failing. Evie, Jay, and Carlos were equally frustrated and Jay looked like he wanted to punch a wall. Ben didn't know why he was holding back.

"Now then, those aren't the faces of heroes. Why, I'd say those are the faces of people who've given up before they've even begun." A voice said from the corner, which made all of the teens jump. They noticed someone in the corner; someone they were mostly sure hadn't been there when they arrived. Ben stepped towards the person. He was wearing gray overalls that were covered in muck, had a white t-shirt underneath the overall, and smelled awful. His blonde hair was extremely dirty and looked as though it hadn't been washed in a few days.

"Excuse me, but who are you?" Ben asked the man. The man, in turn, dramatically bowed.

"Noah the Sewage Worker, at your service. You can call me a Sewey, though. That's what we sewage workers call ourselves." Noah said, extending a hand to each of the teens in turn. They all shook it, though Evie hesitated; she didn't know where that hand had been.

"Not to be rude, but what did you mean about us giving up?" Jay asked. Noah's face broke into a huge smile.

"Well you all have been moping around cause you think you're stuck. But as my ole Uncle Jack would have said, perhaps what you need to do is trip a little light fantastic. I'd come up with my own catchy phrase, but unfortunately the creative gene skipped a generation with me."

Ben immediately knew who Noah was talking about. Almost everyone in Auradon knew about Jack the Leery. He had worked quite a bit with Mary Poppins, helping keep the families of Auradon together when they couldn't quite manage it themselves. Jack was one of the many workers who helped her out, but even when he wasn't 'on the job,' he was always willing to lend a listening ear. If Noah was to be believed, he was the nephew of Jack. Which meant that, in this dimension that Mal had unintentionally created, there was still hope. And if there was still hope in Mal…

"We're thinking about this all wrong." Ben said, turning his attention back to his friends. "We've been looking for something else to be the solution. We expected to have an easy journey, but it's never that easy. We're forgetting something. Something important…"

All of the group started thinking. Noah, standing silently in the corner waiting for them to remember what they had forgotten. He wanted to step in and tell them, but then the journey would be for nothing.

"Ben…" Evie said, drawing the attention to her. "What if Mal wasn't the only one with magic?" Carlos caught onto what Evie meant immediately.

"The magic mirror! If you can use the magic mirror, you must have some magic in you, no matter how small. If you can channel the magical energy that would be all around us, within Mal, it might be enough to cast a simple spell to get us out of here!"

Evie placed her hands on the door, focusing on it as hard as she could.

"What do I say?" She asked, nervous that she would fail her friends when they needed her.

"Just do that spell that Mal did when we broke into the Museum of Cultural History." Carlos told the fashionista. Jay rubbed his backside.

"That wasn't funny. That actually hurt a bit." Jay complained; Evie and Carlos rolled their eyes.

"Later, Jay. Do you remember the words, Evie?" Carlos and asked and Evie nodded. She returned her focus to the door and tried to channel magic. M, if you can hear me, please help. I need you now, she thought, trying to project her thoughts to the real Mal, wherever she was. She felt a warm presence near her and she knew that she could do this.

**Make it easy, make it quick**  
**Open up without a kick!**

The lock clicked unlocked and the door creaked open slowly. The group of teens took a moment to celebrate, but knew that their challenges were far from over. They still had to get out of the castle and across the Isle. They still had a long way to go.

They turned to thank Noah, but found that he had vanished. They wanted to wait and wonder more about the mysterious sewage worker, but didn't have the time to when they heard movement at the end of the hallway. Apparently thes tart of their escape had not gone unnoticed, and guards were on their way. The four left the cell and headed in the opposite direction. Evie took the lead while Jay took the back to cover them. Carlos, though in the middle, kept looking both forwards and backwards to check for people coming after them. Ben felt completely out of place. It was clear that the VKs had experience working together to keep themselves alive, while Ben had never had to worry about that. He always had guards protecting him, and even those were rarely needed.

Not for the first time, Ben felt his heart sink as the full extent of the lives of the Isle-people washed over him. He had never known hardship; they had known nothing but hardship. He had only had to work to earn his reputation as king, and even that he didn't have to work as hard for; these people had to work for every single thing they got, and then had to work to keep it all lest it be stolen from under them. And he and his parents had let it happen.

It wasn't your fault, Ben. You didn't know, and we're all okay. He felt Mal reaching out to him. She knew what he had thought about. Unfortunately, she didn't make him feel any better. He vowed once they rescued her that he would make fixing the Isle of the Lost a top priority.

They managed to escape the dungeons after what seemed like a lifetime.

"Jay, where are we?" Carlos asked. Jay looked around and took in the scene. They were definitely on an upper level. He headed towards a window and realized that it stepped out onto a balcony.

"Upper level, near Maleficent's balcony. And guys, you had better come see this." They all moved as one and saw what Jay had been talking about. Out on the balcony was a young, purple-haired child. Her back was to them, but they could all tell that she was crying.

"Pathetic child!" A voice screeched, causing them all to duck behind the nearest covers - mostly statues.

"Sorry mommy. Why didn't I get invited?" The young Mal asked, turning to face her mom who had just stepped out onto the balcony herself.

"Because you're better than them and they're jealous of you. You don't need them anyways, my nasty little girl. One day you'll have the entire world at your feet; you won't need them when you can have everything you ever want, pumpkin."

The young Mal nodded her understanding, but the sadness stayed on her face. Whatever party she was talking about, it was obvious to the VKs and Ben that she still wanted to go. Maleficent, however, walked off while still rambling on about being evil and learning from the best - her. Once she was far enough away, the group quietly moved out onto the balcony and looked over. Mal didn;t seem to notice them. Evie looked over the railing and gasped.

"Guys...I know what's happening. It's the first test, it has to be." Evie told them. Jay and Carlos looked down and agreed, their faces becoming somber. Ben saw the scene below and was confused what they meant.

"What do you mean? It's a birthday party." Ben said naively. Evie shook her head, trying to hold back tears.

"You don't understand, Ben. It's not just any birthday party. It's my birthday party. This was my sixth birthday party and my mom invited everyone. Every single villain and their kid on the Isle got an invitation...except Mal and Maleficent. I wanted to invite Mal so badly, but mom wouldn't let me. She said that I didn't need "those evil fairies" there to spoil my day. So I let it go. I didn't realize how much it hurt Mal…"

Evie walked over to the six year old Mal.

"Hey sweetie. What's wrong?" Evie asked as she placed a comforting hand on Mal's shoulder. Mal jumped to attention and grabbed Evie's wrist.

"Who are you? How did you get into my house? I should call my mother and have her bring the forces of all evil down on your head!" Mal said, sounding more confident than her eyes revealed her to be. In reality, she was scared.

"You don't have to be afraid. I know that that party looks like fun, but you have so many good things coming your way. You're going to have friends who care about you, and a prince who adores you, and a best friend who will never let you be hurt the way she hurt you now."

Mal hesitated, not sure how to react. She saw the blue hair and recognized it. "You're related to Evie, aren't you. I hate Evie! I hope my mom does something truly terrible to her and her evil mother!" Mal shouted, and it took everything in Evie to control the urge to run and sob.

"I know you feel like that now, but it does get better, I promise. Just...give Evie a chance when you meet her. You don't necessarily have to be nice to her, but give her a chance. She wants you down there, you know?"

Mal hung her head. "Then why didn't she invite me?"

"It wasn't her choice, sweetie. Her mother controlled the invitations and it was up to her mother who got invited. She was going to come and hand deliver one to you and drag you out of this castle, but her mom and her mom's friends were watching every possible escape. She couldn't do anything even though she desperately wanted to." The hand that Mal had kept on Evie's wrist tightened. Suddenly, her voice deepened, sounding more like the grown Mal that they knew.

"That may be true, and I'll let you go for now, but we'll see each other again, Evie. You still have more to face - more hurt that you could have prevented."

The scene disappeared in a puff of smoke: Mal vanished, the party below was gone, and the four teens were left standing on a dust-covered balcony that had been abandoned for years. Jay walked over to Evie and wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug while she sobbed into his shoulder.


End file.
